Monthly Archives: May 2011

The beginning of this piece will be the actual creature Herself (eventually I’ll have some art done) and a table to use. This explains a bit of history, role, etc. Afterwards I will explain the drastic changes (if anyone gives two poops) that have occurred to the Widow.

Wailing Widow Info

Very few dangerous creatures are tolerated in Vornheim and only one, the Wailing Widow, has the regard of being protected by the law.

This creature is both pitied and feared by the people of Vornheim. The Wailing Widow was once a human woman who died violently at the hands of her father, brother, or lover. The spirit of the girl is unable to rest and becomes twisted, full of hatred, rage, and vengeance. On the anniversary of her death the spirit returns and to slay the man who brutally took her life. Once this goal ha been achieved the Wailing Widow retreats to dark abandoned areas of the city to continue to hunt men who happen across her way. A Wailing Widow will hunt women, but will always go for a man first.

The Wailing Widow looks like a woman wearing a black traveling cloak and veil. This works to her advantage as she blends in with the darkness and can strike quickly. When in a frenzy or about to attack her cloak opens showing the gown the girl wore when she was murdered and her veil flies of revealing a woman with mad rolling eyes and abrasions and cuts along her face, evidence of her violent death. Under her dress dark smoke billows out and spider legs and be seen skittering towards her intended prey.

Wailing Widows have several weapons that make them dangerous. They attempt to lead men into their traps by crying and begging for help or asking someone to stop hurting them. It is believed that these creatures constantly relive the last moments of their death constantly. Once a victim is close by the Wailing Widow releases scream that can jar a person, stunning them for a few seconds. The most dangerous of her weapons is the webbing which she is able to shoot out of her mouth. This pinkish translucent webbing creates a euphoric effect to those caught in it making it easier for the creature to feed of their life energy and kill them.

The webbing of the Wailing Widow is highly sought after for its euphoric effects. When dried and mixed with a few choice herbs a powerful psychotropic drug, which has been dubbed Wisps of the Web, is produced.

This drug is a strong cash crop for Vornheim since the material isn’t found anywhere else. By law of Vornheim the slaying of a Wailing Widow is highly illegal and the offender faces possible jail time, steep fines, or indentured servitude. Only if there is no other course is a person allowed to slay the creature, however it is almost impossible to prove this (and many whisper that the officials of Vornheim just turn a blind eye to the truth), so usually everyone is found guilty.

Many people venture into the old abandoned areas of Vornheim in an attempt to harvest the webbing. It is an extremely dangerous job, but pays well. It can be made more dangerous when multiple Wailing Widows group in the same structure.

I wanted to create a pretty random set of circumstances for when a person uses Wisps of the Web. I wanted a few negative ones, but I needed some interesting effects that would keep people using it and the cash flow still coming into Vornheim coffers.

4-6: End up blacking out and waking up in strange place. See Carousing Table.

7: Assaulted with strange visions from beyond the Void. You begin ranting incoherently about what you see -2 to Charisma for trip (6 hours).

8-12: A nice hallucinogenic trip.

13-16: The trip started out nice, but has now gone awry and is no longer enjoyable.

17: You can see ghosts and they come to you and begin to tell you their problems, whether you want to hear them or not.

18: You believe that you are invisible.

19: You believe you have super powers.

20: You become empathic and are able to read the emotions and some surface thoughts of people.

Evolution of the Wailing Widow

When I started to develop myVornheim and I decided I wanted it to be a huge city set in a world that is not quite a dead, but ravaged by something long forgotten and unknown to the living, that makes it dangerous to venture outside of the city I knew I had to create a means of survival that wouldn’t make it a constant struggle.

I created the Portals, Baby’s Tears, and Wisps of the Web. The Portals and Baby’s Tears are major cash cows and very important, but I won’t really spend any time today covering them.

I thought it would be interesting to have a drug that the State is not only cool with, but actively protects its investments. I didn’t want the drug to come from the standard arenas (plants) so that left animal/insects.

I decided to go with a spider that had webs that created a euphoric effect on the poor hapless creature stuck in it. Obviously that effect would want to be duplicated/utilized by alchemists/etc to make money.

The name Wailing Widow popped in my head then and just kinda cemented itself there. I liked it. However I didn’t want just a mundane giant (or even small) spider to have this name. Vornheim is Weird Fantasy after all and this beast should reflect that.

So my brain then went to a normal trope of the Drider. Again I didn’t really want that as it has been done and I’m just really reskinning. However I left the modeling there and moved to the creation of the beast.

As described above this is a woman who died a violent death at the hands of a close and intimate male figure in her life. I knew her creation, however I had gotten stuck on her habitat.

Due to the initial spider idea I had built up the idea that the Wailing Widows lurked in the Shattered Mines, which would create a problem for miners attempting to gather Baby’s Tears and create a problem for the people going deep into the mines to harvest the webs of these creatures. It just didn’t sit right with me however.

I was going over all this with my girlfriend and after bantering back and forth a bit I decided that the creatures should be in Vornheim itself because this presents a unique problem for the city. They want this drug because it makes money in the city itself and through the Portals, however you have people going missing, dying, etc.

I thought that the legal protection of these creatures (except under the most dire of circumstances) would add an interesting layer to how someone/the players interacts with this challenge.

Once that had developed Angie gave me a great idea for the look of the creature (which is described above). I liked the idea of this much more and, to me, it actually makes it more horrifying. I took it in a more disturbing direction of actually seeing the physical abuse on her face and body (that is visible). I want these creatures to hit that uncomfortable spot in the brain of pity and perversion.

Here is someone who had a hard life, was killed by someone who should have loved them and protected them and now they are these creatures, forever tortured by the last moments of their lives, doomed to repeat it for all eternity.

Yet while being pitied and feared they are also used and their eternal suffering and murdering of the populace is governmentally backed.

These are magic items I have created for my Vornheim game. Some of them provide mechanical bonuses (albeit small ones). I wanted to have most of the magic items be A) Weird and different than the standard fare. B) Have a difficulty or cost to use that would cause the player question whether or not to rely on the item more than just a mystic Pez dispenser.

Aside: These items are formated for Savage Worlds, but can easily be redone for pretty much any system.

Note to my Players: These will probably end up in game at some point, but that doesn’t mean I won’t have other items in there just to fuck with you.

Magic Items

Cloak of the Damsel– This silky cloak allows the user to turn into a beautiful woman when the hood is raised. The character gets +4 to charisma rolls. While wearing this they gain the “Utterly Desirable” Aspect and men (and women) will pursue them (often times leading to trouble.

The problem is taking the cloak off. The cloak requires the wearer to perform some function of a Damsel (IE- a noble party, wooing a nobleman, damsel in distress, etc). When the requirement has been met the cloak can be removed. If not removed in 5 minutes the wearer must do this all over again.

Dagger of Horrible Wounding– This jagged dagger can inflict a grievous wound on the victim and all it asks for in return is help from the wielder. The Wielder pushes a small button on the handle, which inflicts 1 wound (no save) and this cannot be soaked. If the dagger hits successfully and the targets toughness is passed the target automatically gets one wound (on top of whatever other damage might be inflicted). This must be decided before the wielder makes their attack roll.

Bracelet of Cat’s Grace– This simple silver bracelets power only comes out at night. The wearer’s dexterity goes up by one die level, however the characters eyes become feline like and they suffer -2 to charisma off putting appearance. Once worn this cannot be taken off until morning.

Summoner’s Blanket– This intricately designed and woven blanket has ancient runes etched onto it. This blanket serves as a focus for a magic user to channel their energy into this to summon something from the nether to do their bidding. This blanket gives a +2 to the Magic roll of the Summoner.

Collar of Pain– This black leather collar has small pins that gently stab into the wearer’s neck. The targets toughness is reduced by 2 while wearing this, but they gain +2 to damage.

The Other Self Cloak– This amorphous mass has some sentience. It can allow a person to assume the shape of a humanoid it has touched in the past week.

The process is not with out pain however. The creature stabs small tendrils into the pours of the host and begins reshaping the person’s bones and muscle mass. The wearer must make a Vigor check (for both putting on and removing the Cloak). Success= 1 wound. Success with a raise= Perfectly fine. Failure= 2 wounds. *A soak roll can be used for this. While wearing the cloak the wearer gets +4 to deception type rolls against people who know the “face.”

Here are a bit more “normal” items that will be incorporated in my game.

Torch of Firebreath– This torch has 10 charges. Functions just like Blast Spell (2d10 Fire Damage). Target must make a Spirit or Magic Check TN 4 to use. Failure means nothing happens. A roll of a 1, regardless of Wild Die results in an explosion (blast) centering on the user and that the charge was consumed in the attempt.

Poison of the Ruby Asp– This vile concoction is one of the most deadly snakes in the Great Graveyard. This snakes red sheen and gemmed forehead makes it a sought after prize for that alone. However its poison is deadly and excruciating. One vile contains 2 applications. The target must pass a Vigor Check -4, failure means the target is incapacitated and must roll another Vigor Check -3 to keep from dying. This poison is a contact poison. Anyone wishing to put this on their weapons must make a Poison Use Skill check -2.

Choking Cloud Grenade– This grenade lets loose a thick green cloud of stinking gas that causes everyone in a small burst template to gag and cough. Targets get to roll a Dexterity Test to avoid being caught in the blast. Failure means they take begin choking and receive 1 level of fatigue and must make a Vigor Check (now -1) to avoid secondary effects. Secondary effects- The targets eyes are streaming and stinging, they suffer -2 to attacks for the rest of the encounter. Each round the target is in the cloud they must make the Vigor Save or take an additional level of Fatigue.

I wanted to create a summoning spell that was simple and quick and allowed for the player to customize exactly what they want (in some fashion). This hasn’t been play tested yet, so I’m not sure how successful I was in creating it.

Summoning Ritual– The Base cost for this is 2, and TN 4. The player then describes what exactly they want to pull forth. Each degree ups the MP and TN cost by 2.

Others can help on this roll- using their magic or spirit as the test. They suffer the modifiers as well. For every success they receive you gain +1 (+2 with a raise). Summoning takes 10 minutes.

Once the creature has been summoned it must be placed under your domination. The summoner must roll a Spirit Check VS the Demons Guts (the demon gets a +2). Success means the creature will stay for the 1d6 hours. Success and a raise means the creature will stay for 1 day. Failure means that the creature will act independently. A roll of 1 on the magic die, regardless of Wild Die, means the creature will go after the summoner and kill them. They will fight until one is dead.

The base creature is a Glop demon:

Attributes: Agility: d4 Smarts: d6 Spirit: d6 Strength: d6 Vigor: d6

Skills: Fighting: d6 Guts: d6 Intimidation: d6 Knowledge (?): d6

Pace: 5 Parry: 5 Toughness: 6 (+1 slick skin).

Claws: Str +d4

Idea- Player (Nate) is half Succubus. Father/Mother wasn’t who they seemed. Was demon in possession of body or in disguise. Character get +1 to Charisma and Charm Person (Puppet Spell) 1x/day. Rule functions same, save for duration which is 1d4 + Chr Modifier.

** This is a good opportunity to keep your players on their toes. For Other, if it fits your setting, you could say it’s Beaver venom. This departure from the norm will make them question what else is more than “mundane.”

Edit: I kept this system neutral so it could be incorporated in any game.

We kicked off the session (where we left off last time) with Philip stuck in the bedroom of a dead soon-to-be Priestess of Tittivilla as a knock and call of a male calling more urgently through the door.

Philip ran to the window and attempted to climb out onto the ledge. However he lost his footing and ended up with his head and arms stuck in the window while his feet dangled towards a 90ft drop.

The door knocked in and a large man with concern etched on his face ran to the bed, oblivious of the unwelcome stranger dangling precariously out the window. The man’s concern turned to shock and grief as he discovered his daughter was dead.

Philip seized opportunity of the man’s emotional pain and quietly heaved himself out of the window, slinked across the room and down the hallway grabbed the man’s coat and headed out the door as a ravaged pain scream tore from the bedroom. Philip heard two women exclaim concern and footfalls coming from the kitchen. He quickly closed the door and made his way towards the 4th floor bridge which connected to the tower that housed the Whining Dog Saloon on the 1st floor.

Walking along the bridge Philip nonchalantly threw the coat over the ledge of the bridge.

Aside: I rolled randomly to see if Keplin was around. I rolled a d100 and gave a 25% chance. I rolled a 02. Not only was Keplin walking by to the Whining Dog Saloon, but the coat landed on him.

Keplin searched the pockets, found some gold and a bracelet for the now dead girl and walked into the Saloon just as a sweaty Philip arrived. The coat provided a nice bit of RPing between Fletch and Liam.

The two drank for a few and decided to go hit up the local Jobs Office to make some spare coin.

Anger Issues

As Philip and Keplin walked towards the Jobs Office they literally ran into an 8’ ½” Orc staring down at them. Looking at Fletch, “You Keplin?” the large orc rumbled.

“Yeah. What of it?”

“Come with me down this alley way to discuss business.”

Keplin shrugged and walked into the aforementioned alley with Philip bringing up the rear, keeping an eye on the lumbering orc.

Sitting on a trashcan was a 3’ Halfling a white tunic and a Lynx fur vest.

I introduced them as Happen Ankle-Bitter and his lieutenant Targrak. I role-played out that Happen was in a bit of a problem. Keplin’s dad owed him a bit of money ($2,000) and that Keplin could either do a job for him (assassinating a Noble who has been giving Happen too much trouble) or he’ll take the payment out of his father, “I’ll brake his fucking legs and make sure he never works in the steam pipes again. He’ll be a useless cripple. Got me?”

Aside: Fletch took an interesting approach on this. I figured he would charge the little bullying bastard or something. Instead he calmly rebuked the threat to his family and then tried to get more money out of the situation.

Happen nodded at Targrak who made a grab to face-palm Philip, who proved to be too agile for the large creature. A quick fight broke out, with the players getting the upper hand. However before anything more than an unconscious Targrak could be accomplished, Happen (at wounds -1) threw a gas grenade at the players, who failed their saves, and ended up unconscious.

At this point Nate (Terra) joined us on Skype and I tied him into the story. Having him walk from his apartment towards the Whining Dog Saloon he ran into his friends just coming to as onlookers gathered.

Here the group went back to the Saloon, Liam almost died twice due to botched Healing Rolls by Fletch (which we are now calling “Orc Healing.” In the dungeon coming up he killed two enemies by healing them.

While resting up, Karl and his daughter Elywnn arrived and were ready to hit the sewers to find the gangers who were selling boot-legged Wisps of the Web.

Into the Stinking Depths of Vornheim

This next session of the review I am going to describe the layout of my sewer dive and a few highlights. There was quite a bit of role-playing and hilarity during the dive, but I will gloss over that for the sake of (possibly) useful information to others.

Tidbit of Flavor Info for my Vornheim- The sewers (as you’ll see in the notes below) are quite expansive and I got to thinking how the city accomplished creating these huge cylindrical tunnels that are about 10 ½ feet tall and about that wide.

Zak mentions Grub fighting as a past time in Vornheim and I decided that I wanted emphasize that even further. In the past long forgotten Vornheim grew too fast and did not have an adequate sewage system. Filth and plague was very common.

The leaders of the great city knew it was only a matter of time before plague killed off the entire population. The leaders bred massive grubs and had “handlers” guide them through the solid rock beneath the city, creating massive tunnels. As the grubs burrowed and created what was to be the new sewer system, indentured servants laid down the brick and mortar along the walls and added grates, doors, levies, etc.

This is how the great sewer system of Vornheim, which spans over a hundred miles, was created

Here are my notes from the game and the map:

This map is to “simulate” the long winding sewers under Vornheim. Each one of the pipes drawn on the map is actually 4 pipes heading in that direction. Each tunnel is 500 feet long. One lump equals 2,000 feet distance. Roughly each lump is 30 minutes of travel. That is not including fighting/excursion/role-playing. If the players want to “hoof it” to make better time, Agility rolls must be made. Failure means more time taken and possible injury.

They start in the Sewers at 6pm. They have until midnight to get to area.

Click to Enlarge

On room 1 and every two rooms after roll for a random encounter in the sewers. Roll 1d6. On a 5-6 there is a random encounter of some sorts.

I also had the Great Albino Spider Snake going around. I wanted this fight to occur at the end.

I had a few variations prepared depending on when the players actually got the far room in the upper right corner. The GASS (shut up about the acronym) could arrive before the player and have the gangers already killed and be lurking in the water (especially if the players arrived late). This is how it played out actually.

The Snake could come after the gangers were taken care of by the player or even during that conflict, just depending on how I rolled.

Highlights/Encounters of the Dive:

Goblins crashing through the brick completely excited at their accomplishment only to be frightened back into the darkness by a howl by Philip.

Tera slipping down a slope and getting completely submerged in fetid sewer water.

The group running across the Semi-Sentient Refuse Pile (I was extremely happy I rolled this one). The item it wanted was Keplin’s lamp. It kept lumbering after him saying, “Mmmmmmmmmiiiiiiinnnnnnneeeeeeee….” They had no clue until it lashed out and took it away from Keplin and moved away. Fletch pouted quickly then moved on.

Tera sneaking up 4 Sewer Folk and hearing their conversation about the King having trouble in Lower Vornheim, but that he’s promising more food than just toad and fungus soon.

The group being ambushed by 2 human ganger sentries. In the fight, Karl (NPC) was killed, yet Elwynn kept it together. The group tortured the two by Orc Healing, killing one then shooting the other in the head with a crossbow.

The Big Snake

As the fight ended the group heard screaming coming from ahead where the deal took place. Tera and Philip went to investigate and came upon a scene of total carnage. Dead bodies and pieces were strewn all across the floor.

Suddenly Philip heard a noise behind him and turned around just in time to dodge out of the way of a gigantic pure white snake with red eyes with spider legs coming out from its underbelly. The creature was about the size and height of a bull elephant.

Nate: “Holy shit.”

Liam: “Are you fucking kidding me?!”

The fight was very fast and the group actually made quick work of the GASS. Once it was knocked to wounds -1 I had it roll a check and it retreated back into the water and disappeared.

We ended the session with the group looting the bodies, picking up the undamaged container of Wisps of the Web, and getting level 2.

In the first post about my take on Vornheim I mentioned that the book woke up ideas/philosophies that have long been dormant in my brain. Some of these ideas that have been asleep have caused niggles in my gaming subconscious that proved irksome, but were hard to nail down as a single entity. These were issues that have spaced themselves out, so it was hard for me to identify them. Or traps I, as a GM, should have avoided, but fell into as time has gone on.

Reading Vornheim and what Zak stated and accomplished with it really drove a spike in my brain (and it hurt quite a bit) that got me to look at these niggling bits and pieces that I have been unhappy with in my games, myself, what was causing them, and where I wanted to go from here on out.

Also I have been reading many awesome blogs that have also been commenting on these niggles. I wanted to give them due credit as well.

Disclaimer: This stream of consciousness is not meant to offend anyone who plays a way I find dissatisfying, that’s your call and what makes you happy. I do not mean to offend any of my players (if they actually read my blog) by what I state here, it is just a reflection/critique on my GMing.

I have broken this post down into the following categories to make it easier to follow my train of thought:

Settings
Over-Cumbersome Rules
SPLAT!
Rewards
Players
Improvisation

Many who look at this may already start to see a theme here: Old School VS New School. While that is definitely a theme in this post it is more than that for me.

Settings

I was introduced to role-playing when I was 15 by way of AD&D. My friend ran myself and my friend Brian through a game and we had a blast. He had 2 books: The Players Handbook and the Dungeon Masters Guide. He didn’t have any of the kit books, the monster manual(s), or campaign settings.

The DM had given me those two books because he had another set at home. I read through the books, created a quick world, kidnapped some people and made them my friends, and bam we were playing!

As the next few years went on my homebrew worlds became a little bit more detailed (or too detailed in some cases) but I always created my own worlds and my players always enjoyed them (probably because they didn’t know any better… the poor sods).

Eventually I made the switch to 3.x, bought the books, only to have to be told that 3.5 was coming out in 6 months, so I bought those as well. We kept playing in one of my homebrew lands using the new system(s). I started to develop a problem however, feeling that I was over-detailing my world and my players (this was a sandbox style game) weren’t going to many of the areas I had so lovingly created (which is their damned right! I wasn’t mad at them for this but I was disappointed because an area I was excited about wasn’t discovered or a NPC that I thought would prove interesting ended up with his head on a pike, etc). Time was becoming an issue as well due to college and a full time job, so I wasn’t able to dump as much effort into world creation/management as I wanted.

My friend was really excited about the Eberron campaign setting that was coming out and was pushing me to get it and run it. I read it and it was a damned cool setting. What got me was just how detailed it was (I had never even picked up a campaign setting prior to this). I started wondering if I had been doing my world creation wrong and felt inferior to the greatness of Keith Baker.

Second I believed that a authored Campaign Settings would minimize my work load. “What do I care if the characters never get to the Demon Wastes? Sure it’s cool, but I didn’t create it. I didn’t put in the effort.”

While I think that there is validity to the statement of a minimized workload there is also the “not knowing” and having to refer to the book multiple times.

After several years of running campaigns in Eberron, and a few others briefly, the idea of homebrew world creating became foreign, intimidating, and daunting. I now looked at what was in these authored settings and thought that I couldn’t compete and my players would not find my creations as interesting. Every time I started to step up to the bat to create a world I let myself get beaned and walked (wow.. I just made a sports reference… god).

Recently the homebrew has begun to seem more enticing and the established settings more restricting. The final break for me was reading the Freeport book by Green Ronin (which is where one of my current games is located). This is a good book which is richly detailed and has everything someone needs to make a good story, but I think it is too loaded with information. Roughly 300 pages is a huge amount of information about one city.

My dissatisfaction with established settings reached a pinnacle and I decided to venture onto the internet and look to fellow bloggers advice for doing homebrew to see if they could help me overcome this new fear I had developed.

Here are two amazing posts Sandboxing World Creation:Bat in the Attic– This one is for pretty damned detailed worlds, but still really useful.

DnD With Porn Stars– This one is more quick and dirty (no that is NOT a pun, although it is now) that will get the job done easy (double damn).

So thanks the inspiration and foundation laid out by Vornheim and to a ton of great info I’ve found on the web, most notably on RPGbloggers.com I have conquered that fear and have created my own sandbox.

Now let us move onto the next issue.

Over-Cumbersome Rules

I believe that 3.x was a reaction to the free form rules or possible lack of rules of its predecessors, just as Bebop Jazz was a reaction to the rigid commercial conformity of Swing/Big Band Jazz.

I remember playing AD&D and would come across a spell that would just state it did a MASSIVE amount of damage (Creeping Doom I’m looking at you) over a large area, but not how that damage was distributed.

3.x and on has a rule for everything. Jumping, running speeds, lighting, sleeping on a slope VS sleeping on flat ground affecting resting rates, and bowel movement speeds per race. The list goes on and on.

When I first got into 3.x, which was a only a bit before 3.5, I welcomed many of the rules because they did provide clarity and allowed everyone to know what was going on (not just relying on my arbitration).

However now I’m finding those rules hindering in two ways. 1) Rule Diving. Something comes up and I don’t know the rule, my reaction (especially at first but not anymore) and my player’s reaction was to grab the PHB and look up the rule.

Later on when I realized how much this was slowing/bogging the game down I started going back to making split decisions based on the stimuli and situation. However I now had to contend with rules lawyers who argued about a rule for jumping that they remember or blocking or holding their breath or whatever. A small debate/argument possibly would ensue. I would put my foot down, I’m the DM and this is my decision so deal with it.

Rules-lite systems are not perfect and not without their fair shares of hassles and complications (both mechanically and in terms of players) but I’m tired for having rules for everything and need to break away from that constraint.

SPLAT!

This one is quick and pretty simple. I’m tired of tons of books being released with so many options, power creeps, and the like. I went crazy in my 3.5 days and bought SO MANY splat books because of new feats, spells, and classes. Most of then never got used or, or worse they did, and they introduced a mechanic I wasn’t familiar with and thus diving into the rules to figure it out ensued.

I have no problem with RPG books coming out, if they didn’t the industry would die! However I would like more constructive books with tools on world building, campaign creation, NPCs, etc come out that explore a huge amount of options, opinions, etc to be released instead of this constant stream of classes, spells, and etc.

That is one of the reasons I love Vornheim so much. It gives more useful information to building a City (even pre-established) and truly making it yours quickly.

Rewards

This also can be called another name, “Player Entitlement.” Treasure Parcels, Standard Dungeon Treasure Rewards, XP bundles, or whatever. I’ve seen people espousing on blogs or in a few pick up games I’ve played in/witnessed since 3.x about not “liking” their magic weapon or wanting to find another one, or why haven’t they gotten more magical items, or whining about the amount they got in a dungeon, etc etc.

Now this may be a knee jerk reaction for me, but my first inclination is… “what the fuck?”

As a player you are entitled to fun around the game table with a couple friends, some shitty food, dick and fart jokes, and engaging in a (hopefully) cool story. That’s as far as the entitlement goes.

In a game I was in (AD&D) the DM gave me a dagger that did an additional 1d4 poison damage when I was level 2 or something. I remember I almost DIED getting that dagger and when I got it (by my own cleverness) it was the sweetest prize ever. I also had that dagger till I was about level 10. I think I had gotten one other magic item at that point, a cloak that did something minor.

It just never entered into my mind, or the other players for that matter, to whine about it. If the Magic User had gotten a dagger he would have been tickled pink as well. I just don’t like that books now-a-days advocate “material” rewards as part of the story. Are they a bonus? Yes. Are they awesome? Yes. Are they mandatory? Not in the slightest.

Players and Improvisation

These two go hand in hand for me so I’m just gonna squeeze them together.

One thing that I have had a really awesome track record at is getting people to try role-playing, enjoy it, and actually become a player. The other problem is that I tend to be the only one who DMs. I understand that it is a huge effort and is quite time consuming so I can see why people tend to shy away from the captains chair.

However what has ended up happening is that I have a pretty large gaming table. On a low day I have 3-4 players and on a high day I have 7-9 players. My preferred table is a max of 5, but I’m not gonna deny someone who wants to hang and have fun a chance to play.

However I need to get back to my smaller game venue. As much fun as large games can be, something is lost in them; the ability for real personal character explorations and stories. I’m not saying that they don’t exist or are impossible. I just think that in large groups, for a functional story that includes everyone there has to be sacrificing of some freedoms and spotlight time. It’s simple to develop meaningful stories that really hit home to a character/player when there are 3-5 of you as opposed to 9. The kind of stories and situations that I really enjoy engaging in belong to a smaller more intimate venue.

Another situation that has arisen is improvisation. I am pretty damned good at it, but I used to be way better. It is a skill that has rusted with time due to a lack of use (in some ways).

The people I used to play with in Montana are the “give them a lemon and they’ll open a restaurant” type. There was no end to some of the crap they would come up with. Our game table was dynamic with awesome action/reaction going on from everyone. They thrived in a sandbox/open environment.

Some of my players in NJ are of a different breed. The important thing to disclaim here is that many are casual or REALLY casual gamers and is not a slight against them, their play-style or anything like that. This is just a comparison of two different play groups.

I think that the problem with my rusting improvisation skills is two-fold. 1) The size of the table really does hinder the ability to go anywhere and do anything because nothing would really ever get done and there is too much downtime for each player. So things become slightly more linear or constructed.

I tend to construct my adventures down a plot point basis. If my players come up with something I didn’t think of or want to do something different or hit it from a different angle, awesome I roll with the punches, make shit up and we’re golden. Does this happen often? Not really.

2) Some of my players like being told what to do or can’t give me feedback and I have to push and prod to get something, which can be frustrating and demoralizing to me. I do not fault them, blame them, or wish them ill.

So Really is There a Point to Any of This?

I just wanted to expound what is going on in my gamer head because there might be people out there who feel the same way and it always helps to have someone else to relate to.. except with evil cults… That’s never good.

I also wanted to map out, for my own edification, as well as others where I’m going with gaming. I’m going back to my roots. I’m taking some of the new school mentality back to really quick and rules-lite systems (that don’t necessarily have to be OSR), like Savage Worlds, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, and AGE.

I’m looking to once again play a more sandbox style game and rely more on my improvisation and intuition. I am cutting down on the large game table to once a month and upping my small game with my MT friends via Skype to twice a month.

I’m really looking to get back into that DIY feel that I had when I first discovered the hobby rather than relying on an abundance of books and telling myself that it is easier this way.

I really am looking forward to where this “new gaming adventure/rekindling of my past love being made anew” will take me. My love for this hobby isn’t going anywhere, and neither am I (although you may have hoped). I gotta keep challenging myself before I become set in something and stale.

Here are the answers that my players came up with to the questions I asked them.

Questionnaire 1- Nate

1) When you were young you were bit by an asp and managed to survive. Some say you are blessed and others cursed.. How do you feel and why?

A: Some same I am blessed, some say I’m cursed, I say I’m lucky and I’ll keep playing the odds until I’m not. People read to much in to stories.

2) Vornheim looks beautiful in what season and what time of day? Why?

A:Vornheim, in the fall just after the leaves fall, the lonlieness after the jubilation of summer is enchanting.

3) What do you tell friends about yourself that isn’t true?

A: A question that is almost always answered by a lie, how much I owe, how old I am, what I know, the truth depends on the beholder.

4) What instrument can you play? Why?

A: I’ve played the lute since I was a child, but I only play it alone now.

5) When alone and in the dark you…?

A: Find where the treasure is, whatever that may be.

6) You have a gem worth 200 gold in your pocket. How did you get it and why can’t you sell it?

A: I won it off an illegal bet, or stole it at an opportune moment.

7) Why do you react the way you do when threatened?

A: Hasn’t Answered Yet.

8 ) What are you most proud of about yourself? What is your biggest fault?

A: Pride is in the display, in the talk, and hopefully no one will notice all the mistakes that haunt my life.

9) Why do you favor the color ________?

A: Dark blue; reminds me of the cold pools of my child hood, and i could swim and float in peace.

10) What creed do you live by?

A: Who Dares, Wins.

11) You are afraid of _______________. Why?

A:I’m afraid of people learning about my past. My debts and problems now, are nothing compared to the troubles I escaped.

12) Who is living in your immediate family?

A: As far as I know, my husband and child are still alive, but that’s been many years.

13) How did you meet the group? Why stick together?

A: I met the group at the contracted job boards. After we brought in a good haul I challenged them to a game of chance and took most of their money. These are people I can stick with.

14) What is your name?

A: There’s a nickname everyone calls me by, Terra. My real name Daneya Roa’dell, is the answer, to this riddle, which has a prize at the bar I work at if anyone cares to wager a few gold on guessing my name.

Questionnaire 2- Liam

1) Your mom sang a song to you when you as a child. Why do you cry now when you hear it?

A: Because my family fell on hard times and my family sold me into being a human lab-rat.

2) What did your grandfather give you give you or say to you as a child?

A: “Never forget who you are and from where you come”–a silver pocket watch with a gold filigree.

3) Why do you favor ___________ weapon over all others?

A: Wakizashi it is an ideal weapon for a noble who never knows if he’ll be on the offensive of defensive.

4) The glass is half empty or half full? Why?

A: The glass is half empty…because everything good always comes to an end usually quite suddenly.

5) You have a reoccurring nightmare. What is it about? Where does it stem from?

A: The dream is of me as a young child camping in the woods before my grandfather’s death when suddenly we are surrounded by a pack of wolves that look absolutely ravnous when suddenly they attack my grandfather and i watch them tear is body apart while i am frozen there in terror watching them gnaw on his bones.–It presumably stems from some traumatic experience i had as a child which i have repressed and have no conscious recollection of.

6) What are you really good at? What do you wish you were better at?

A: I am really good at going unnoticed yet am equally clumsy.

7) On an average day what is in your pockets? Why?

A: The watch my grandfather gave me and usually a small amount of coin and a couple pieces of jerky.

8 ) Coming from a noble family why do you sometimes “slum”?

A: Because i realize nothing is right in the world and sometimes you have to do what is right even if it means questionable means to an end.

9) You have a habit or twitch that drives the group crazy. What is it?

A: Unbeknown to me my eyes flash between my nature color of hazel to an ice blue of an arctic wolf….or am constantly checking my pocket watch with no real concern of the time.

10) Old people creep you out. Why?

A: They remind me the walking dead with their sagging skin and their varicose veins and their boney structure.

11) What do you want to accomplish before you die?

A: Return to my family.

12) Who is living in your immediate family?

A: My younger brother and twin sister and my grandmother.

13) How did you meet the group? Why stick together?

A: I have no recollection of how we got together but i know we have been through a lot and that i probably owe them my life.

14) What is your name?

Philip Phineas Balder Molineaux.

Questionnaire 3- Fletch

1) An old crone read your fortune four days ago. What did she say? How do you feel?

A: I was told my life will be in much peril, most of which will be brought on by my companions. Which is the norm in this city. The crone also said “You know not what your truly seek, for you to find this answer you must travel with a band of misfits and trouble makers.”

2) Why do you strive to make your father proud?

A: Father is a Steamer (plumber for steam pipes) for the dangerous works dpt., knowing how to fight is half the requirement to work there. Any way I’m a bastard of father and a whore in outer town, he raised me to know how to fight and work. I could have turned out much worse or dead, I do what I can to show him my thanks.

3) You feel ______________ about bullying. Why? What happened?

A: I know it’s wrong so I try to stop it where I see it, because of the neighborhood gang was beating up someone I knew from the area so I jumped to help and got my beat up too, but I still do the same from time to time.

4) Your house burned down. You saw your puppy, an old photo of your grandmother, and an old tome of knowledge but could only save one. Which did you choose and why?

A: Puppy, There are other photos of grandmother, tomes can be replaced but I love that dog.

5) When a friend is in danger you ________________. Why?

A: I will stand with them or run with them, depending on the situation. it’s just the way I was raised.

6) You have your mom’s necklace. What does it mean to you and why?

A: Not too much, but I can’t bring myself to sell it, I some time have a romantic that she gave me to my father cause she loved me enough to know she couldn’t give me a good life.

7) What does Vornheim mean to you?

A: Its where the rump rests, I’ve heard of the portals and wouldn’t mind going there.

8 ) Your birthday is next week, what do you want? Why? Why won’t anyone get it for you?

A: There’s a set of brawlers shocker gloves at a pawn shop, but pops told me if I want something as dangerous as that I can buy them my damn self. There’s know one else I can ask.

9) Other people’s opinions matter to you in what way?

A: For most people I could care less what they think, but for people that are friends I try to keep in good graces.

10) When you were a kid you got lost in Vornheim. What happened? What did you discover?

A: It started with me running away from a street gang, I made a lot of random turns to ditch the guys, how were very persistent over 3 miles or better, when I found that I was in an area very unknown to me. A square filled with all manner of people, with a ring in the center. Thinking it was a festival of some kind I began to walk around and watch.

During the fights people were placing bets and cheering for one or the other fighter. I watched for a few fights with great enthusiasm before I came back to myself and had the since to find my way home, ever since I’ve wanted to become a fighter of note.

11) What do you routinely do? What will happen if you don’t or aren’t able to do it?

A: Not answered yet.

12) Who is living in your immediate family?

A: Only one known to me is my father.

13) How did you meet the group? Why stick together?

A: At the contracted jobs office common room in front of the board of jobs. We all agreed that the highest paying jobs we could get would be easier and faster as a group, and we have worked well as a team so far.

That is an astounding number of evil-doers rotting in jail contemplating how they are going to get back at the meddling Jessica Fletcher!

The astonishing thing is that she did it all through observation and conversation! No superpowers! No fists of fury! Just quick wit and keen observation!

Take THAT Batman! She doesn’t have a Utility Belt! She’s just got a vial of arthritis and blood pressure meds!

Aside: I actually am a Murder She Wrote fan (my girlfriend weeps). I have watched every episode. I am a huge fan of Murder/Mystery and love things like this show or Agatha Christie novels/BBC specials. I’m pretty damned good at solving them too.